The evolutionists’ survey says ...

A recent poll by DefCon unwittingly shows the need for ministries like AiG to uphold the authority of scripture.

Polls on how Americans view the creation/evolution controversy are
nothing new and, in fact, have been growing in frequency. But a survey
commissioned by the US anti-creationist, liberal group The Campaign to
Defend the Constitution (DefCon) is the most unusual in memory.

The occasion of this national poll—called “Creationism and the Public
Belief”—was DefCon’s alarmist reaction to the opening of the Creation
Museum last month. In fact, DefCon supporters stood alongside followers
of the American Atheists group as they protested outside the museum
fence on grand opening day, May 28.

[The poll] helps
confirm our long-held view that the church is in desperate need of
assistance in defending the Bible’s historicity beginning with Genesis.

The poll's first question (posed to 800 people across America who were
likely to vote later this year) was

“Recently a Creationism Museum opened up in Kentucky. The museum
portrays dinosaurs living alongside Adam and Eve as well as dinosaurs on
Noah’s Ark. Which of the following words best describes your view of
this?”1

Nationwide, 54% stated that the museum could be described as “biblically
inaccurate,” “scientifically unsound,” or “bizarre.” Meanwhile, 17% said
the museum’s teachings were the “literal word of God” or “biblically
accurate.”

When the question was posed to white, self-described
evangelicals/fundamentalists (who would also be likely to vote this
year; more about that qualifier later), the figures came out: 49%
rejected the museum’s beliefs as “biblically inaccurate,” “scientifically
unsound,” or “bizarre”; 32% agreed that the museum’s views are the
“literal word of God” or “biblically accurate.”

Our guess as to DefCon’s purposes in commissioning the poll was to show
that because many Christians disagree with AiG and its stand on a
literal Genesis, AiG is not seen as representative of the Christian
faith as a whole. If that finding (assuming the survey was carried out
properly) was meant to shock us, the opposite is the case: it helps
confirm our long-held view that the church is in desperate need of
assistance in defending the Bible’s historicity beginning with Genesis.

For years, we’ve warned the church that if the young generation now
sitting in its pews becomes so secularized and “evolutionized” (unless
there is an immediate turnaround), the church in America will continue
to question the Bible’s accuracy and authority. Hence in our view, the
need for a Bible-upholding museum is affirmed by such a survey.

As AiG President Ken Ham told the Cincinnati Enquirer (June 29), “If
that poll was valid, then it just proves what we've been saying all
along about the need for this museum.”

Of course, a poll taken for the group calling itself DefCon begs the
question: how is the new Creation Museum a threat to the U.S.
Constitution? The Creation Museum, built on private property using
private funds, is not forcing its views on anyone, yet DefCon somehow
sees it as a threat somehow to constitutional liberties.

Why? Well, because DefCon decided to poll likely voters, apparently it
is their stretching attempt to show that the growing creation movement
is a part of the religious right’s effort to influence elections. The
very purpose of DefCon, after all, is in “combating the growing power of
the religious right” in American society.

Another head-scratching aspect of the DefCon-commissioned poll is that
while it has attempted to marginalize AiG’s beliefs within the church,
it is neverthelsss alarmed by outreaches such as AiG’s new museum.
Perhaps the larger-than-expected crowds coming to the museum (on
Thursday the 50,000th guest came through),2 the potential of
creationist groups to challenge the dominant evolutionary worldview in
American society is a looming threat to them.

“This DefCon poll should be a wake-up call to Christian leaders who compromise with evolutionary ideas and an old earth,” Ken Ham said. “Such pastors and theologians need to know that secular humansists are using them to advance an anti-Christian agenda.”

It’s worthy of note that the DefCon group and local atheists advertised
nationally to gather supporters to their protest on May 28, and a few
dozen showed up. Meanwhile, over 4,000 museum guests arrived through the
gates that day.

The insinuation by DefCon is that AiG is a part of the religious right
political movement. But AiG is apolitical and has no agenda to influence
elections. It’s not our job to change the culture, but to promote
biblical truths. Now, if that means the culture will be changed,
including how voters think and decide, then so be it. But AiG is not an
activist organization in the sense that we are involved in the political
arena.

Footnotes

More than 41,000 guests having toured the exhibits since the facility
formally opened on May 28; another 9,000 visitors came through during
pre-grand opening events starting May 21. Because AiG was hoping for at
least 250,000 guests the first year, the first-month total is better
than expected now that one-fifth of the yearly goal has been achieved.

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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. We focus on providing answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.